Ghosts?...What Ghosts?
by Mako1
Summary: Halloween challenge fic done a month early...what the hell, I was bored. ^^


Ghosts? What Ghosts?  
  
Author Chick's Notes: This is situated at the Banta Inn. A pub nearby that I used to work at and just down the road from Flash's hometown of Lodi.It's also famously haunted.not quite like the Manchester House in San Jose, but then it wasn't built for the express purpose to appease the spirits of the slightly pissed off, like old Lady Sarah's place. It was built originally to rob the gold miners of their few nuggets in whiskey prices during the gold rush and is still in operation today. We've had people come from all over just to hear the ghost stories first hand.and to also get scared shitless first hand in some cases. ^^  
  
Ghosts? What Ghosts?  
  
It felt good to be home again in the San Joaquin Valley town of Lodi. Flash had managed to get a month off from his duties as a Joe and had come straight back to the home he grew up in. He was going to go somewhere else at first, but like the old saying went, about home and hanging your hat. Anthony Gambello smiled at the Raider's cap he'd had since childhood, still sitting on the peg just inside the door. It was symbolic of his feelings for the small house on the quiet cul de sac.  
  
"I'm home?" He called out as he entered his childhood home. "Anyone here?"  
  
He heard shuffling in the kitchen then smelled his way towards his mother. She had headphones on of all things as he crept up behind her and hugged her.  
  
"Gah! Tony!" She screamed as she turned into his embrace and stood on tiptoes to get a closer look at him. "You're skinny, good thing I've got malasadas going huh?" She teased as she turned her attentions back to the pot on the stove.  
  
Flash laughed at his mother's one-track mind. Ever since he could remember she was always trying to fatten him at least a little bit. The urge hadn't ceased when he became an adult either. "Every time I come home I have to spend another month getting back into shape because of you." He grinned as he picked up his bag and went towards his room.  
  
Flash laughed when he heard her muttering something in Portuguese under her breath as she added more lumps of dough to the pot. He passed the bathroom and nearly got bowled over as his sister came barging out. "Oh my god I'm so sorry! Tony?" She said when she realized whom she had just slammed into.  
  
"Yeah its me kiddo, hot date?" He asked as he took her into his arms for a bear hug.  
  
"No! Work." She grinned as she stepped back. "Oops." She smiled as she tried to brush some of the glitter she had left on his shirt, off.  
  
Flash couldn't resist as he placed a hand over his chest and heaved dramatically. "Little Martina Gambello has a job?" He swooned. He fought to keep a straight face at her glare as he continued. "They grow up so fast." He sniffed then laughed when she slapped his arm.  
  
"Yeah nice seeing you too Creep." She snorted as she went to her room to finish getting ready for work. Flash went to the room next door and tossed his bag on the bed. He went back to his sister's room and leaned against the doorframe.  
  
"So where do you work then?" He asked as she slid on a pair of boots.  
  
"Banta." She answered as she zipped up her boots.  
  
"Banta? No kidding?" He smiled. Flash knew of the place well, seeing as he used to be a busboy there when he was a teenager.  
  
"Yup." She chirped as she rose from the bed. "Momma didn't think you'd be home until tomorrow so dinner is 'you want it, you get it'. Why don't you come on over and I'll treat you to some chow?" She offered as she grabbed her purse.  
  
Flash shrugged his shoulders and excused himself to change into something a little less formal. In jeans and a t-shirt, Flash headed towards the kitchen where he could hear Martina telling their mother she was going to take him out for dinner. The phone rang and Martina answered it.  
  
"Yeah? Oh hey Joanie. Uh-huh? Ok sure. See ya in a bit." She hung up and turned to her brother. "Wanna take separate cars? That was Joan, apparently the new girl had something come up and can't work the late shift tonight so I'll be there till closing?" Martina explained.  
  
"Nah I can hang out and help out later. I doubt Joan'll mind." He said. He was sure that his old boss wouldn't mind either. The two bid their mother farewell as they both snatched a warm sugar coated dumpling off the rack. Knowing his sister, Flash grabbed a few napkins as well and they left. In the car, Martina was grateful for his thoughtfulness as she wiped away sugar from her fingertips.  
  
A few minutes later they pulled into an unpaved parking lot and got out. "You're going to play 'Mr. Inconspicuous' aren't you?" Martina grinned as she tied her apron on. Flash just grinned and they headed for the entrance. Holding the door for his sister he walked in and was swamped by the smells of spilled beer and cigarette smoke. Martina didn't say anything as she went to the half door leading to the kitchen to start her shift.  
  
A matronly woman seated at the bar however did. "Oh my goodness, looked what creeped in!" She exclaimed as she hopped down from the stool and ran up to hug him. Flash grinned as the woman smothered him.  
  
"Hey Joan, still own the place huh?" He smiled warmly at his former boss. A few other people seated around the smoky bar recognized him and were soon greeting him as well. Flash told them all he was on leave and how his sister had offered to treat him to dinner.  
  
"Her treat my ass. It's on the house kid." Joan smiled as she led him towards the restaurant portion of the building. Flash spotted Martina serving an elderly couple he remembered from his days of working at the place when another waitress came over.  
  
"Tony Gambello? Well shit." She laughed as she got her pen ready to take his order.  
  
"Hey Jen." He greeted, getting up to hug the girl and then sat down again and gave her his order. "Prime Rib night tonight right?" He asked.  
  
"Yep. Medium with baked potato and honey mustard for the salad?" She asked knowing what he was going to get.  
  
"Add a Bud to that and we're all set." He laughed as Jen left to fill his order.  
  
"Beer? You're to young!" Joan teased as she greeted a few other regulars in the restaurant. Flash heard Martina snort a laugh on the other side of the room and smirked.  
  
Jen came back with his salad and told Joan that she had a phone call in the bar. Flash talked with Jen, when an older woman came over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Honey, no sense in eating alone, come and join me and Ed." She smiled warmly at him. It was the elderly couple his sister was serving and he gladly switched tables.  
  
"Thanks Mrs. Bell." Flash talked with the two and told him about his life in the army. They in turn told him how things were with them when a large group entered. They appeared to be from out of town, as both Jen and Martina got them settled. Flash and the Bells overheard one of them talking and all three laughed. They were indeed from out of town, having come down from Tahoe to experience the Banta's famous reputation.  
  
".Have either of you seen or heard the ghosts?" A man roughly Flash's age asked. Jen and Martina went straight into storyteller mode as they relayed experiences with some of the Banta's not so lively regulars.  
  
"Then there was the group that sat over there and that painting came out, floated to the middle of the room then returned back to the wall." Martina explained, pointing to an oil painting of an old west scene. It was the most famous of the hauntings at the place and Flash knew of it well. Apparently it had occurred before he was even born but it still got the same response every time. Everyone at the table stared at the two waitresses with huge eyes, some with a hint of fear.  
  
The dinner rush started in earnest as Flash was finishing up. The tourists from Tahoe, via Ohio originally, heard more tales of horror as they ate they're meal. The ghosts weren't in an entertaining mood but that didn't stop the group from leaving a huge tip as they left. Flash retreated to the bar area and saw Joan fuming. "What's up?" He asked as he greeted another woman behind the bar warmly. "Hey Janice."  
  
"We just got a new kitchen helper the other day and after last night he quit." Joan scowled.  
  
"Tony?" Flash smirked. Flash happened to share his name with one of the ghosts that haunted the place. This Tony however, had a tendency to let employees know what he thought of them. Apparently the new hire wasn't one of Tony's favorite people.  
  
Janice spoke up from behind the bar. "No Tony was out here last night messing with the jukebox again. It was Mary." Like Tony, Mary had a tendency to scare new employees. Only she did it in a more obvious manner. Flash winced, having a pretty good idea what had happened. Janice filled him in on the story of pans flying off the shelf and how the new person made short work of his duties and all but ran out of the place when his shift was over.  
  
Flash looked over at Joan as she took a sip from her wine glass then rolled up her sleeves. "Hey, seeing as Martina and I rode together, and I'm stuck here for the duration, I'll take care of it." Flash offered as he rose from his seat.  
  
"No you won't! You're on vacation." Joan said as she and Flash glared at each other in a battle of wills. Flash had a secret weapon though and he used it on the older woman. "Damn it." Joan swore as she closed her eyes to the boyish smile Flash was now employing mercilessly on her. "Fine." She said after a moment.  
  
Flash leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Look at it as me paying off all the beer I'll drink later." He winked before heading for the kitchen. A grizzled older man looked up from the grill and did a double take.  
  
"What? The army kick you're scrawny ass out after all, huh?" The cook teased.  
  
"Nope. Just on furlough and seeing as the new kid quit and I'm here for the night I figured I'd lend a hand.pay off the beer in advance." Flash winked. "Heard you got hitched Kurt?" He asked the cook.  
  
Kurt told Flash all about his new bride and how they had met. Kurt in a way was the reason Flash had joined the military. The older man had been in the Navy until he was discharged for medical reasons. He'd served proudly in Vietnam and his stories had always made Flash smile. "You might wanna grab a shirt from out back." Kurt suggested, pointing towards the stockroom.  
  
"Gotta point there." Flash answered as he stepped in back and changed into one of the spare chefs shirts hanging by the door.  
  
"Who-hoo! Damn if I knew there was going to be a male review tonight, I'd a brought more cash!" Jen cheered when she saw Flash mid change.  
  
"Aren't you like married, or something?" Flash smirked as he finished buttoning up.  
  
"Didn't stop Justin from coming to lunch earlier." Jen said, handing Kurt an order.  
  
"I missed the bikini lunch? Damn!" Flash joked and went back into the kitchen. He laughed after a moment when he realized just how easily the whole routine had come back to him. Flash spent the next several hours getting the dishes done, helping Kurt with orders, and bussing tables for Jen and Martina. Joan came in as the dinner rush was winding down and stepped up behind him.  
  
"Thanks kiddo I appreciate it." She said as she hugged him. "I already told Janice the beer's on the house too, although I still think you're to young." She teased.  
  
"Shut up Tina." Flash glared at his sister over Joan's head. "Anytime Joanie and thanks." He added as he hugged her back.  
  
Joan excused herself for the evening, leaving the four in the kitchen to clean up. Flash remembered what Martina had said earlier about having to pull a double shift and was about to ask her why when he heard a commotion from the bar area. He remembered the sound all to well and now knew what Martina was staying late for. Karaoke Night was about to get into full swing, which meant that Martina would be helping Janice tend bar.  
  
Jen and Martina wrapped up the dinner shift, while Kurt and Flash stepped out back for a smoke break. Another man appeared from the shadows as the two were talking. Flash grinned when he saw that the biker didn't immediately recognize him. "Hey Oakie, how's life treatin' ya?" Flash asked as he took another drag from his cigarette.  
  
"Fine, fine.Tony you sneaking son of a bitch!" Oakie laughed as he grabbed Flash in a bear hug. Oakie was Janice's boyfriend and all around handy man at the Banta. They talked for a few more minutes before Kurt and Flash excused themselves to finish up.  
  
Kurt wrapped up first and went out to the bar for his nightcap and to hang out with some of the regulars. Jen and Martina had also finished up and were now helping out in the bar. Flash went into the darkened restaurant to put away the last of the silverware and suddenly noticed that it got very cold. He felt a small child clamp onto his thigh in fear and could swear he heard whimpering.  
  
Smiling in the dark he murmured softly. "It's okay Annie." He said. The feeling on his leg went away and the temperature went back to the warm it was supposed to be for that time of year. "Missed you too Sweetie." He added fondly when the whimpering sound was replaced by childish giggles. Flash went and got out of the chefs shirt and back into the shirt he'd worn to the place and went to the bar.  
  
Janice handed over a beer and smirked. "What's that look for?" She asked.  
  
"Annie came to say hello to me." Flash smiled around his beer. Janice didn't need any further explanation.  
  
Annie was by far the rarest visitor to the bar, but the employees and regulars knew how to handle her. Her story started around the time of the great San Francisco earthquake. The area the bar was located at was farmland back then and a young girl had supposedly been trampled to death by a horse all those decades ago.  
  
Only a handful of people had actually ever seen her, Flash had yet to see his little spirited friend. Most people that had come across her had just heard her or in rarer cases been grabbed by her as she sought comfort. There had been a few people who had left screaming in terror but most of the ones that stayed just knew to tell her everything would be fine. Those she did grab, she apparently liked. Almost the entire staff at the Banta had been grabbed and on more then one occasion.  
  
The night wore on and the drinks continued to flow until Janice sounded out last call. California law demanded that all bars be closed at two am and Flash glanced at his watch. He got up to help Oakie bring the last of the beer in to replace the stock. Martina and Flash stayed to help the couple close up. Jen had left earlier to get rested for the breakfast shift.  
  
Flash promised them that he'd come by again while he was on furlough as he and Martina left the bar. "Fun night huh?" Martina asked as she unlocked her car door.  
  
"Yup." Flash smiled and waited for his sister to unlock his door. He was about to step into the car when something caught his eye. Near the corner of the building a small girl with long curly blonde hair was waving at him. There was no light source near her but Flash had no trouble making her out, thanks to the otherworldly glow that outlined her. "Night Darling." He whispered.  
  
The End. 


End file.
